36th Annual
Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations

Again this year the conference will convene hundreds of stakeholders and thought leaders to address key bilateral commercial and diplomatic topics in Washington, DC.

The 36th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations, (#USTurkeyConf) organized by the American-Turkish Council (ATC) and the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAIK), will convene more than 500 leaders and visionaries in the private sector, government, and the non-profit space to empower business through partnerships. From May 21 until May 23, 2017 in Washington DC, more than 20 industries will be in attendance, represented by CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors, members of the U.S. Congress and Turkish Parliament, and other ministers and cabinet secretaries.

Venue

Trump Int'l Hotel, DC

Historic Prominence on Pennsylvania Avenue Washington’s Old Post Office has been restored to far beyond its initial grandeur and proudly stands as the iconic Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., bringing a new level of luxury to Pennsylvania Avenue. Featuring 263 luxurious guest rooms and suites, BLT Prime by David Burke, Benjamin Bar and Lounge and The Spa by Ivanka Trump™.

Keynote Speakers

H.E. SERDAR KILIÇ

H.E. SERDAR KILIÇRepublic of Turkey Ambassador to the U.S.

Serdar Kılıç, a longtime member of the country’s foreign ministry, was named ambassador to the U.S. in January 2014. Started his tour in April, 2014. He previously served as ambassador to Japan starting in 2012. Kılıç is married and has one son.

GEN. JAMES L. JONES

GEN. JAMES L. JONESChairman, American-Turkish Council

Gen. Jones is the former commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, where he led all military operations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as former National Security Advisor. He joined the American-Turkish Council in January 2014 as Chairman.

EKIM ALPTEKIN

EKIM ALPTEKINChairman, TAIK

As the Chairman of the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (DEIK/TAIK), Ekim Alptekin is committed to boosting Transatlantic trade and bolstering the commercial angle of decades-long Turkish-American partnership.

TAMER SAKA

TAMER SAKACEO, Kibar Holding

Tamer Saka received B.A., M.A. and graduate degrees from the Business Administration Department at Istanbul University. Previoulsy of Sabancı Holding, he joined Kibar Holding in 2010. A board member since 2012 at Kibar Holding, he was nominated and approved as the CEO in 2014.

ANDREW LIVERIS

ANDREW LIVERISChairman and CEO, Dow Chemical Company

Mr. Liveris' career has spanned roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing, and business and general management. As Dow’s CEO, he has led the Dow's transformation from a cyclical chemicals manufacturer into an enterprise powered by science and innovation.

HOWARD BEASEY

HOWARD BEASEYPresident and CEO, American-Turkish Council

Howard G. Beasey is an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran and retired United States Marine. For more than two decades Mr. Beasey served as an infantryman, combat engineer platoon and company commander. He joined ATC in February 2015 as the President and CEO.

Osman Kibar

Osman KibarCEO, Samumed, LLC

Dr. Osman Kibar, PhD, is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Samumed, LLC, a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on pharmaceutical drug development for degenerative conditions and oncology.

Omer Cihad Vardan

Omer Cihad VardanChairman, DEIK

In September 2015, Vardan has been appointed as the President of Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK)

Taha Özhan

Taha ÖzhanChairman, Foreign Affairs Cmt, TBMM

Taha Özhan is a Member of Parliament from the Justice and Development Party. Prior to his current role, he served as chief adviser to the Prime Minister, and president of the SETA Foundation.

Thomas Donohue

Thomas DonohueCEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Thomas J. Donohue is president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Since assuming this position in 1997, Donohue has built the Chamber into a lobbying and political powerhouse with expanded influence across the globe.

Mehmet Toner

Mehmet TonerProfessor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Mehmet Toner is the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.

The Hon. Newt Gingrich

The Hon. Newt GingrichFormer Speaker of the House

Newt Gingrich is well-known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in forty years.

Sezgin Baran Korkmaz

Sezgin Baran KorkmazChairman of the Board, SBK Holding

Sezgin Baran Korkmaz is the founder and CEO of SBK Holding, a firm which invests in distressed bank assets and companies in financial distress.